I had three CEREC crowns made. I don’t feel like they are fitting well and I’m think there are open margins. There are radiolucent images that seem to support this but my dentist is telling me that those are radiographic burnout. Can you verify that?
James
Dear James,
I can verify it with any definitive answer without examining you. CEREC crowns are usually more accurately fit than traditional ones because they are milled by a machine that designs the crown based on sophisticated software. Even so, it is still possible for a dentist to place them with open margins.
I can tell you that radiographic burnout is possible. A cleaner x-ray and running an explorer around the margins should tell you with certainty.
It doesn’t sound like you have much faith in your dentist to tell you the truth. This is a problem. You really do need a dentist that you can trust and feel is ethical. I would get a second opinion from another dentist. Make it a blind second opinion. By that I mean do not tell them who your dentist is or tell them anything about the radiolucent image.
The dental field is a small universe and it is very likely your dentists know each other. He or she may feel torn about saying your dentist messed up if they know who they are. If they ask, just tell them you want an unbiased opinion so just to look at the crowns and ask if there are open margins.
If it turns out that you do have open margins, then I would start looking for an ethical dentist who does quality work. Check out their reviews online. That can often be a way to weed out those whose patients have had bad experiences with them.
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